How to Choose the Best Coffee Maker for You

Research has shown that just over half of all Americans drink coffee on a regular basis. This equates to coffee being consumed by over 100 million people everyday. It’s important to consider though that America’s population is made of people from all over the world. So, opinions on what constitutes a good cup of coffee vary greatly across the country. Fortunately for consumers there are a number of different styles of coffee maker on the market today.

Coffee drinkers are able to choose a brewing machine according to their own individual preferences. Popular styles of coffee maker include Automatic Espresso, Percolator, Automatic Drip, Stovetop Espresso, French Press and Vacuum type. Each type has advantages and disadvantages and the user’s control over the end product will vary from machine to machine.

Automatic Espresso

These types come in three versions, being, semi-automatic, fully automatic and super automatic. The semi automatic types will tamp the coffee grounds, brew the coffee and then fill the cup. Fully automatic models will also be able to grind the coffee. The super types come with extra features such as built in water filters.

Percolator

These come in the electric variety and the stove top style. The latest models are electric and are programmable. Some of these models can produce up to twelve cups of coffee in one time. Many companies use large coffee urns which will operate on the percolation principle and can brew upwards of 100 cups of coffee in one go.

Percolator coffee machines are not as popular as they used to be. These makers will often run the boiled water over the grounds and coffee connoisseurs say this has a detrimental effect on the taste of the coffee.

Sometimes coffee made using this method can be too strong and quite bitter tasting when compared to other brewing methods.

Automatic Drip

These are probably the most popular choice amongst American consumers. They are reasonably priced and are not complicated to use. The different brand types will work based on the same principal. A filter basket will contain a paper filter and this holds the coffee grounds. Cold water enters into the reservoir where it is heated up and then poured over the grounds. The coffee that is produced travels into a carafe and it is kept warm by the hot surface below the carafe.

Some people do not like this type of machine and the type of coffee it produces. You can get a tastier cup keeping the coffee maker and the carafe clean, using throw-away paper filters and good quality coffee.

Stovetop Espresso

These can be used anywhere where heats exists, be it a stove top or over a camp fire. Water is put into the bottom boiler and the funnel filter is put inside the boiler and filled with coffee. The top of the device is screwed on lightly and then it is placed over the source of the heat.

When the top of the boiler has filled up with coffee the device is taken away from the heat source and the coffee can be served.

French Press

These are also known as plunger or press pots. The pot is a porcelain or glass cylinder and this contains a mesh plunger that operates as a filter.

The user of the machine will measure out coffee grounds into the pot and then nearly boiling water will be added. The plunger is ready to go but will not be pushed down until the coffee has been steeped for a few minutes. After the plunger has been pushed the coffee is ready to drink.

The coffee needs to be drunk nearly straight away as there is no hot surface to maintain the temperature of the coffee.

Vacuum

This type of maker looks more like something out of a chemistry set. There are two containers connected by a syphon tube. There is a filter in the base of the top container.

Water is placed in the lower container and coffee grounds in the upper. The maker should then be placed on top of a stove and the heated water is vaporized and then passes through the tube and into the upper container.

The whole brewing process will last about three minutes. When the machine is taken away from the heat the vapor will transform back to water and will go through the filter and back into the lower container. The first automatic vacuum coffee maker was designed by Farberware while the first real modern machine was created by Sunbeam.

Not many companies manufacture these types of coffee makers in modern times. They have become something of a collector’s item and can be found in antique stores and on online auction sites.

There are many coffee makers available for coffee lovers these days. Coffee drinkers can be very particular about the type of coffee they drink but with so many styles available every taste and budget can be catered for.